TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5252, 23 January 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PEB MESS AGENCY.) . Auckland, Tuesday. I In the Supreme Court torday ia the case of James - Sharley v. Jaraes Herrand, a libel claim for a 41000, a verdict was returned for plaintiff, damages 505., carrying costa.' The plaintiff is .a postmaster, and the libel consisted in reports made by defendant that plaintiff opened his letters. , .. Alexandra, Tuesday. , The tangi over Takerei te 11,m, at Hikurangi, is largely attended. Many hundreds are already thsre, and others are continually arriving. I The weather is very unfavorable for harvesting. • OhuISTCHORCH, Tuesday. The weather is still fine, and promises to clear up for the cricket match to-morrow. It is rumored .that Mr. C. A. Eitzroy intends to resign,his seat for Selwyn. , , Tim ABU, Tuesday. A fatal accident occurred last night at, Qpawa on the railway. A man named Hutt, !).bullook-driveij, belonging to Level’s station, while attempting to pass into another carriage tell. The guard hearing a women scream put the break hard down, and. backed the train, when the-body of the’ man Hutt was Couud outside the rails, His.head was severed into two pieces, aud the.back half of the.skull was liangihgito the other portion by a piece of skin. Brains ware found about six yards ,from tho line. The flange of the wheel struck the man’s head. The body was uninjured. ,v Had he fallen .three or four inches further off he would probably have been saved. Hutt ‘was about 25 years old, and it ia believed his parents live, at Moeraki Downs. i- ; .Miss Ada Ward land the' Lydia. Ho wardc : Troupe appear here to-morrow night, j Mr. White and Mr! Hammersloy, solicitors, are .engaged" in the breach of promise case, Flora McKinnon v. John London. ; Very heavy rain fell here, lasting all night. : 1 . ) . : t . . : BALOtUTHA, Tuesday.. ’ j The new railway bridge was tested by Mr., iOarruthers, accompanied by Mr. Blair, 1 District Engineer, and Mr. Oooke and Mr. Ivirh 1 , 1 assistant 1 engineers. Three locomotives and six loaded coal trucks were used. The weight was 110 tons. Each span was tested carefully. The deflection was from three-eighths to threequarters of an Inch. .There was no permanent

set, as when the load passed the bridge sprang back to its original level. After each span was tested the train was run across at the rate of tea miles an hour, when the deflection was only three-eighths of an inch. These tests are considered very satisfactory, and show that the work has been very faithfully carried out. The bridge consists of seven spans of 120 ft. each, and one of 30ft. across the road at the end ol the bridge. At nine o’clock to-day the Hon. Mr. Larnach left Balclutha Station on the main trunk line by special train, accompanied by Messrs. Carruthers, Blair, Cook, Kerlc, and Usher, engineers, and Mr. Conyers and Mr. McNeill (the Mayor of Balclutha), and Councillors Dunne and Ritchie, the Manager of the Colonial Bank, and others. On reaching the bridge Mr. Larnach declared it open, and named it the Blair Bridge, and proposed success to the undertaking, which was drunk by the company. 'Die train then proceeded to Kaitangata, where Mr. Larnach minutely inspected the Kaitangata Coal Company’s pits, and expressed himself surprised at the large extent and excellent quality of the coal. The engineers examined and consulted regarding the lock at Kaitangata Creek. The forty then returned, reaching Balclutha at noon. Messrs. Larnach, Carruthers, Blair, and Conyers then drove off to Clinton to catch the train for Invercargill. They intend inspecting all the railways and public works in the Southland District.